At Heritage, we believe that education is an important part of the estate planning process. On this blog we will be sharing some information, articles, and opinions that you may find helpful along your way.

December 2017

12/07/2017

It literally feels like we were just planning our family's summer vacation, yet somehow here it is Christmas time already. Sometimes I feel like life is like a great big Mac truck, and I'm standing in front of it trying to get my legs to run faster and faster so I don't get run over by it. I think the Mac truck even bumps into me every once in a while!! Do you feel like that? The days are full, and they seem to be passing by at an increasing rate of speed with every blink. As I reflect on that, it just solidifies to me the need to make the most of each and every day that we are given, because truly, each day IS a gift. What better time to reflect on that than during Christmas, the season of giving?

Do you like Christmas, or does it stress you out? My answer is both! I love decorating, wrapping, baking, and watching my kids in our annual Christmas play at church. I love finding ways to teach my kids about the real meaning of Christmas. I love Christmas music and planning Christmas parties. However, every year when the Christmas season arrives, I feel like I’ve taken on another part-time job to “accomplish Christmas.” I struggle to balance accomplishing my normal life responsibilities while tackling the task of creating a magical Christmas for our four children. I have a theory though. The secret to minimizing the stress of Christmas, is the same secret for minimizing the stress of daily life; planning. Taking an evening as a family to sit down and decide what activities and events are important to us, and then getting them on the calendar avoids the stress of feeling the need to say YES to every opportunity that arises. Planning which day we will get our tree, which days we will decorate, when we are caroling, shopping, baking, and wrapping helps ensure all the necessary, and all the fun events get accomplished. Some of my favorite moments at Christmastime are the quiet moments at home, curled up with my family with the Christmas tree lit and the Christmas music playing.

Christmas and estate planning share one major commonality. The secret to success in both endeavors is planning well. It's never too late to create an estate plan, but the best time to plan is at least five years prior to your need for a skilled nursing facility. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, we never know when our need for that care may arise although statistics tell us the need will arise for 7 out of 10 of us. The very best time to plan is today. Visit our website at HeritageElderLaw.com to register for an upcoming free educational workshop to learn more, or call our office at (724) 841-0004.

As this first week in December of 2017 comes to a close, our wish for you at Heritage Elder Law and Estate Planning is peace, joy, and cheer. May you find quiet moments to reflect on the gifts that life brings, and also moments of intense joy and excitement as your Christmas Season unfolds.

12/01/2017

One large retirement nest egg number that gets thrown around a lot is $1 million. It is a nice round number and it seems like a lot to most people.

The average cost of living varies greatly between different states and often between different regions in the states themselves. In Hawaii, $1 million would last about 12 years. However, $1 million would last nearly twice as long in Alabama.

Those figures assume that the money is sitting in a no-interest account and do not reflect any expected gains or losses on money which is still invested.

What does this mean for you? As you approach retirement age and begin to make decisions about when you want your retirement to start, you need to think carefully about the amount of money you have, where you want to live and how you want to live.

Attend one of our free educational workshops today to learn how we can help you protect and preserve the money you've worked hard to save for your retirement. Register online by visiting www.HeritageElderLaw.com and clicking on the workshop tab, or call (724) 841-0004.